


The Story Of Peter

by witchway



Series: Sincerity And Secrets [4]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: College Student Peter Parker, Fluff, M/M, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-18 06:20:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21506539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witchway/pseuds/witchway
Summary: “We’re not going to do this, Kid,” Tony said, even as he wrapped his arms around Peter and held him close.“Why not?”“Because…..because I’m old and worn out and you deserve better.”“You let me decide what I deserve.”“Kid I….I loved it when you had a crush on me, I did.  But that was only because you didn’t know me..."
Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Starker - Relationship
Series: Sincerity And Secrets [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1534667
Comments: 7
Kudos: 116





	1. Peter Remembers

If anyone noticed Peter walking around in a daze across the Columbia campus, a blissful grin on his face, it was not commented upon. And that was fine with Peter. His life was awesome.

For the past year Peter had thought of his life as a long longing A03 fic, the Slowest! of the slow!burns. Now it seemed to be more of a _Porn Without Plot_ (although it would more accurately be a _Porn With Feels_. He had the feels. He had ALL the feels.)

But for a _Porn Without Plot_ , it certainly had a very long leadup – oh yes. He could see the entire story in his head, really, along with the tags _Fluff_ and _Angst With A Happy Ending_. 

In his head, it went like this.

**The 2 Times Tony Said No And The 1 Time He Said Yes**

** Time #1 **

After a _great_ deal of inquiry a newly-20-year-old Peter Parker was ready to make his move. For years he had worked for Tony as an intern, flew beside him as a superhero, and tinkered shoulder to shoulder with him in the lab. During those years Tony flirted, joked and made sexual innuendos, and referred to him by a playful nickname that described a piece of underwear.

Peter never took it as an invitation. Tony behaved that way towards _everybody_. Yes, Peter had a crush on Tony Stark, but _half the country_ had a crush on Tony Stark. Working side by side with the man put him no more closer to being in a romantic relationship with him than if they were living on different planets.

But when he was 19 Peter began to get some information and certain things began to click in his head. 

First off Tony and Pepper had separated, but were still married, which was the first time Peter had gotten any hint that these two had never been ‘married’ in the traditional sense. Apparently both of them had _always_ had other lovers, and apparently Tony’s other lovers – Tony’s _only_ other lovers – had all been men. 

And that one smart Indian dude? Sanjay Anasomething? That shy guy that had been born in Wisconsin but was Tony’s rep in Bangalore? Apparently _that guy had been one of them._ And apparently Tony had been bummed lately because _that_ dude had retired from the company, married some _other_ guy and taken up social justice causes in India. 

Tony had actually invited Peter to the wedding as his plus 1, but Peter had finals that week. 

And now Tony, very bisexual Tony, was living all alone in Stark Tower and dammit, Peter was near 21 now and it was just time for him to make his move.

He had spent a little time playing around with FRIDAY until he knew he could call on her to play music at his request, when the time was right. He spent the entire evening working side by side with Tony in the lab, trying to make the time right. For hours they wrestled with some particularly stubborn nanotech, Peter constantly trying to steer the conversation into questions about Tony’s personal life, the issues with the nanotech constantly interfering.

They had taken a break and proceeded to the kitchen when his moment came - when Tony had mentioned something vaguely positive that they _had_ accomplished when Peter called out “Time to celebrate! FRIDAY play some dance music,” and ‘Ride On’ by AC/DC began to play. Playfully Peter pulled Tony by the hand into the most empty part of the room, put the man’s hand on his waist, put his hand firmly on Tony’s shoulder, pushed their other hands away from them and began to move them back and forth in a slowdance.

At first he had to lean on Tony’s chest, too overwhelmed by his own boldness to look up into Tony’s face. When he got up the nerve, he did. He smiled.

Tony wasn’t smiling.

“What are you doing, Kid?” he asked softly.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Peter tried to sound innocent.

Tony only shrugged.

It kind of hurt – Peter honestly had no other plan after the dance started – still Tony was not NOT dancing with him, and his hand was still pressing into the small of Peter’s back (and that felt _wonderful_ ) so Peter rallied, and smiled again.

“Then I’ll just have to keep doing it until you figure it out.”

Tony pulled him close then, and Peter’s heart skipped a beat. The hand that had been on the small of his back was now in the center and that hand was pressing their bodies together. Tony’s chin was resting on his head. The song was 5 minutes and 50 seconds long, he knew. Tony had 5 minutes and 50 seconds to take him up on his offer or….shit Peter should have made a longer playlist.

Holding his hand Tony separated their bodies for a moment, holding Peter out at the end of his arm, spinning him under it, then scooping him back up in that tender embrace and putting his chin back on Peter’s head. Peter moved his face up for a kiss but didn’t get one, Tony merely rested his lips against Peter’s forehead as they continued the dance. Peter just smiled. It was heaven.

Then as the song ended Tony did it again. Peter willing separated and then spun slowly under Tony’s arm….

…and felt himself let go. 

Tony had let go of his hand.

And had just turned around and walked off, without looking back, toward the lab.

“FRIDAY play disco,” he called out, never looking back.

Peter left Stark Tower without comment.

** Time #2 **

But he didn’t give up – dammit why should he? Tony made sure they were never alone together for a while, but soon their lives went back to their normal, frantic superhero pace, and Tony forgot to be careful. That’s why they were alone together in Stark Tower trading information before Tony left on a business trip and Peter gave him a goodbye kiss. On his mouth.

“We’re not going to do this, Kid,” Tony said, even as he wrapped his arms around Peter and held him close.

“Why not?”

“Because…..because I’m old and worn out and you deserve better.”

“You let me decide what I deserve.”

“Kid I….I loved it when you had a crush on me, I did. But that was only because you didn’t know me. I can’t afford to let you know me and…”

“You’re a moron,” Peter said quietly. He couldn’t say it loudly because they were still holding each other close and Tony’s ear was inches away from his mouth. “I practically live in Stark Tower while you’re in town. I know you very damn well. The only reason I don’t take up your offer to spend the night on your couch is because I don’t to wake up with a huge boner and embarrass myself by climbing into your bed. But have it your way, Tony,” Peter said, and kissed the ear, and then the cheek, and then the corner of the mouth very gently.

“Have a nice trip.”

“Call me,” he said, giving Tony devilish eyes over his shoulder as he left Stark Tower. He had a huge grin on his face as he engaged his mask and jumped off the helicopter pad. He had a huge grin on his face as he swung his way home over the dark streets of New York City.

Yes, Tony had told him ‘no.’

Yes, Tony had given him a perfectly good reason.

But Tony had done so with one hand buried in his hair, and the other hand firmly gripping a handful of his ass.

He walked around campus with that same stupid grin. He was engaged in a battle of wits with one Tony Stark, and he was going to win.

He had the obvious advantage. _Tony_ had the hard job, constantly coming up with logical reasons why they shouldn’t be together. All _he_ had to do was keep pointing out the obvious. 

****

****

****

** Time #3 **

Then he wound up on the wrong side of a helicopter busy crashing into New York Harbor……no…..

No, that wasn’t the _real_ #3.

** Time #3 (The Real One) **

Peter didn’t like thinking about the ACTUAL #3, tried to avoid thinking about it at all. It was blacklisted from his Tumblr feed, listed as a “Problematic Pairing.” Defriended on his mental Facebook page. Blocked. Muted.

Mostly.

They were getting debriefed at Stark Tower and the Avengers were exiting in various directions, from the helicopter pad or down the elevator. Peter realized he was alone with Tony and took a few steps toward him, only to have Tony startle and back away, raising his hands defensively.

The day Peter dug himself out from under a fallen building, he found he had strained and overtaxed muscles he didn’t know existed – he only learned of their existence when they ached. The day Tony jerked away from him, Peter found out about muscles in his stomach he had never known existed – he only learned of their existence they knotted. 

They ached for an hour afterward. 

“I’m not doing this!” Tony had whispered to him, aware there were still other people in the penthouse. “Has it ever occurred to you that if you have a crush, you should just leave it at that? It’s much nicer! You should never meet your idols, Peter, and you _sure_ as hell shouldn’t try to get them naked.” 

Peter had several things to say about that, but that’s exactly when other people entered the room. What the other Avengers thought about Peter storming out, he never learned.

Did they hear him talk to FRIDAY as he walked away? Did they hear him say “Play Christina Perri, Code 3?” 

He didn’t know. Nor did he know how Tony’s guests felt when ‘A Thousand Years’ began to play on infinite repeat (or at least until Tony figure out how to hack Protocol 3.)

** Time #3 (The Other One) **

Even then, Peter didn’t give up. Maybe he should have, his stomach knotted every time he thought about Tony’s face as his hands came up between them.

But that thought _always_ led to thoughts of Tony’s _hands_. How they had felt, spread on the center of his back, pressing their bodies together. How they had felt, casually resting on the small of his back as they danced. How they had felt as they started to move, ghosting over the curve of his ass just before Tony had spun him under his arm….

Thinking about Tony left him breathless. And, he kept reminding himself, he _had the advantage._

But the other #3 was too painful to remember.

The other #3 was _All Angst_ , a tag he preferred to avoid.

(But he read that story, oh yes, he had read it over and over. He just never clicked on the kudos button. Somewhere some poor A03 author was watching her hits count rise daily and her kudos count rise none.)

The Avengers were assembling, but without him. Tony, in his suit, met Peter on the roof of a random building to give him the news – a team was headed to Scarlet Witch’s hometown for something involved, and Peter wasn’t invited.

Peter protested, of course. Finals were over and he could always drop his intersession class, but Tony shut him down.

“You’re not coming because I need to fight off a surviving HYDRA cell and I can’t do that while I’m fighting off _you_ ,” he snapped. 

Peter was glad Tony’s helmet was still on. He didn’t want to see Tony’s face right now.

He spoke some more about Peter’s age, about how being childish and being an adult, about how Peter needed to scratch an itch and how easier it would be if he did that on campus. “Besides, even if it were a good idea, which it isn’t, Aunt May would kill me.”

“Before or after Doc Oc kills me?” Peter spat, furious. “We’re _superheroes_ Tony, we don’t follow these rules…” he tried but Tony cut him off.

“And quit fucking with my playlist,” he called out as he walked away. “I ended your access to FRIDAY. We’re not playing your songs anymore.”

His thrusters were engaged by then, so he didn’t hear Peter’s comment about things he expected, and things he had planned for.

Which was why Tony Stark went back to his penthouse and packed for his trip while listening to Puddle of Mud’s ‘She Fucking Hates Me’ blasting from every room.

At least until he figured out how to hack Protocol 13.


	2. The Second Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter’s dream kept getting better, because now Tony was landing and stepping out of his suit. And now Tony was gathering his wet body up in his arms and whispering “Its’ ok, it’s ok baby, I’ve got you baby, I’ve got you. Oh god Peter I've got you."
> 
> It wasn’t a very good dream – Peter didn’t like being called baby in dreams, or in reality for that matter – also everything from his teeth to his toes hurt, but he would take what he could get. He wrapped his only good arm around Tony and held on tight.

** Time #3 The One I Like **

The REAL #3 (which was NOT the real #3, it was the fanfic #3, but who cared? It was Peter liked the most) involved winding up on the wrong side of a helicopter when the helicopter collided with New York Harbor.

A lot of that was something he did NOT LIKE thinking about, let alone talking about. But what the hell? It was the reason Tony took him to bed in the first place.

He had signaled for backup as soon as he realized there were too many civilians involved. He had been told War Machine was on his way – a real privilege (and also the only Avenger still in town.) 

The villain (she had not yet been named by the media, so she was only ‘her’ in Peter’s mind) had a lot of tech and was using it well. But she was also clearly badshit crazy, and Peter’s constant attempts to talk her down were met with either nonsense or violence. Still she couldn’t answer technical questions about the exoskeleton suit she as wearing, which means she didn’t design it. And the conversations she was having with people that weren’t there? Peter was getting the overwhelming sensation that this woman was getting information from somewhere else, which meant she might be more of a victim than villain. 

Besides, when she hit him it didn’t even hurt. It was easy to stay patient.

Until she started flinging him away like a bug.

The first two times he webbed a nearby building with ease, pulling himself right back to her and continuing the conversation. Every journey back entailed frantic arguments with an approaching War Machine, desperately trying to explain why he thought this woman needed to be rescued, not pummeled.

He felt like he was actually getting somewhere, at least with her, when she flung him the third time, with far more force than he was expecting, towards the harbor. 

Honestly, if the helicopter had not been in the way it wouldn’t have mattered. He had been tossed ‘into the drink’ before.

What happened underwater he could only remember in pieces. He felt like a rattled cage. His entire left side – arms, ribs, organs – felt like shattered crystal held only together by the skin that contained them. Under water he fought free of the helicopter, trying to find the pilots, but in the darkness lost the vehicle altogether. With only his right arm working he tried to swim for the surface, only to admit after a few minutes that he had no idea where the surface was. He could be swimming straight down for all he knew. It was so cold, and getting colder.

There had been voices on his com, off and on, but KAREN wasn’t talking to him at all. He heard Tony’s voice (but that didn’t matter, Tony was overseas) and Rhodey. The words “…visual on Spider-Man. **Do you have a visual on Spider-Man?”** That was Tony’s voice – oh crap. Tony knew. Tony knew he took out a helicopter and landed it in the bay. 

Then heard, or thought he heard, Rhodey ‘s voice say “He took a helicopter blade to the torso, Tony,” and Tony say something about Dr. Cho – but all he really knew was that KAREN was broken. Tony would be so pissed.

There was another voice in his head though, a voice that was clearly not KAREN but was calm and comforting just the same. _“If you stop fighting you’ll float. If you float, you’ll float up. Then you’ll know which way ‘up’ is.”_

He wasn’t sure if he should trust the voice. He had a head injury, and wasn’t sure he should be trusting his own thoughts at all. But everything from his teeth to his toes hurt, and not fighting sounded wonderful. It didn’t sound like giving up. It didn’t sound like giving up at all.

The next thing he knew he was being carried, bride-like, through the air by Tony. That was a dream, obviously, because Tony was still en route from the Avengers mission in Serbia. It was just a Sentinel anyway, as Peter found out when he came to with a start and tried to fight it off with his one good arm. 

The Sentinel landed on a roof top and Peter’s dream kept getting better, because now Tony was landing and stepping out of his suit. And now Tony was gathering his wet body up in his arms and whispering “Its’ ok, it’s ok baby, I’ve got you baby, I’ve got you. Oh god Peter I've got you."

It wasn’t a very good dream – Peter didn’t like being called baby in dreams, or in reality for that matter – also everything from his teeth to his toes hurt, but he would take what he could get. He wrapped his only good arm around Tony and held on tight.

He tried to disengage his mask but it wasn’t responding and he was too rattled to fight with it. So there was no kissing as Tony looked down into his face, he only looked up into Tony’s dark whiskey eyes, reveled in the fact that he was being held tightly in Tony’s arms. Then he looked up into the older man’s handsome face, inches away from his, and said “Oh crap that’s a _news_ copter.” 

“Oh gosh May knows, May knows I went in the water,” Peter said as Tony pulled away as the news copter circled round them. 

“FRIDAY, Lois Lane protocol," he said, turning his head away slightly, keeping one steady hand on Peter. "Message: ‘Conscience, responsive, worried about you.’”

“You’re going home or going to Dr. Cho Kid, which will it be?”

“Home,” Peter said, realizing slowly that this wasn’t a dream. (If it had been a dream, Tony would still be holding him.)

“Can you get there on your own?”

He couldn’t.

And that’s why New York City was treated to the sight, courtesy of News Channel 10, of Spider-Man riding Ironman, hero-landing style, through the streets of a cheering city.

When they landed on top of Peter’s building they talked, briefly, about his injuries. Then Tony was convinced Peter didn't need to be forcibly carried to Dr. Cho, Tony disengaged his mask and said one last thing.

“When you’re ready, come to the Tower," he said, barely looking Peter in the eye.

“You can play any music you want.”

* * *

Peter had broken all his ribs on that side, and possibly his lung, he was pretty damn sure. That’s why he waited a full day before making his booty call to Stark Tower. He didn’t want to be wincing when Tony fucked him, and by gosh he was NOT going to ask the man to be gentle!!

**Can I come by at 7:00 tomorrow night?** He texted.

**I’ll be here.**

was all Tony said, in typical noncommittal fashion. 

Peter was well enough to go to school the next day. He limped a little, and favored his good arm, but mostly he just smiled like an idiot. He had worn Tony down. He had played the game perfectly. He had _won_. And tonight, he was going to get nailed by one Tony Stark.

He was nervous as all hell, swinging his way to the tower. He tried to distract himself by picking the song they would dance to (that dance was going to end _his_ way this time dammit.) Just in case Tony hadn’t picked one.

When he arrived at Stark Tower, his question was answered. 

Tony was waiting for him, dressed in a battered t-shirt, sweats. Barefoot. His face looked mournful.

The song he had chosen? ‘Rooster’, Alice in Chains.

They embraced before they started dancing. “I almost lost you in the drink, Kid,” Tony murmured into his hair, but Peter brushed it off. They briefly discussed May and his injuries, but Peter pressed his body against Tony’s, his head against his chest. He didn’t want to talk about the helicopter, didn’t want to think about it. His dream was coming true, he was going to wrap his legs around Tony Stark and get pounded into oblivion. He was going to find out what Tony’s O face looked like. He didn’t want to think about anything else.

Although the lyrics of the song FRIDAY was playing were a little disconcerting. 

“Here, they come to snuff the rooster, ah yeah. You know he ain't gonna die….”

“This is a very strange song to dance to, Tony,” Peter said, looking up into a concerned face.

“I don’t think we should be critiquing each other’s taste in music just now,” Tony whispered.

Peter slipped his hand out of Tony’s hand and to his cheek. He wasn’t waiting anymore. He moved up for a kiss.

Tony kissed his mouth, then his cheek, then his ear.

“Oh god Kid, _why_ didn’t you give up when I asked you to?” Tony moaned, even as he wrapped Peter up in his arms, and Peter grinned from ear to ear.

Because he knew the answer – he just hoped someone would ask the question.

“Because you kept telling me what *I* wanted, and what I didn’t want, and you never told me what *you* wanted, and didn’t want. If you had told me _you didn’t want me that way_ I would have given up, but you never said that." 

“I thought I did.”

“You _kinda_ did, yes,” Peter said, grinning. “But when you said that you were also doing this…”

He moved Tony’s hand down to his ass.

“This is what you _wanted_ to do,” Peter said gently, even as Tony started squeezing and kneading him hungrily, his other hand joining the first, pressing their bodies together. “And because you wanted it, I wanted it too.”

“But I _did_ tell you what I wanted, I told you I wanted you to stop,” Tony said, right before he kissed him.

Tangling his hands in Peter’s hair he pulled Peter’s head to the left, kissing down the side of his face and into the crook of his neck.

Peter was glad, because it hid his face. 

He didn’t want Tony to see. 

He didn’t want Tony to see his eyes.

His eyes were wide. Even as Tony crushed their bodies together his eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open. 

At that moment, he realized what Tony had actually said on top of the building.

He had said that Peter was childish, hearing the word “no” and choosing to ignore it. He had pointed out that the adult thing to do would be to listen to the other adult; the other adult who was saying “no, this isn’t going to happen.”

And Peter _had_ been childish. Peter _had_ ignored Tony’s no, had set out to pester him until he worn the other man down. 

He had won, but had he won in the right way? Had that been the right thing to do?

He pulled away a little to look up into Tony’s face. He didn’t want to ask, he didn’t want to know the answer…

…and then Tony, with a little smile and a painful look of sadness, whispered “I don’t want to tell you ‘no’ anymore," and took his hand and led him to the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the story that comes next in the series, we'll hear Tony's version of these events.
> 
> You've come this far, why not leave a comment?


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